Process of refining sugar.



I PATBNTED MAY 16, 1905. RDEUSY. PROCESS OF REFINING SUGAR.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 18, 1904.

ZSHEETS-SHEET 1.

W/TNESSES,

PATENTED MAY 16, 1905.

= F.DEUSY. D

PROCESS 0P REFINING SUGAR.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 18. 1904.

2 SHBETS- -SHIIET 2.

IN VEN TDR,

W/ TNESSES,

Patented May 16,. 1905,

PATENT OFFICE.

FELIX DEUSY, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

PROCESS O REFINING SUGAR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 790,036, dated May 16,1905.

' Application filed July 18 1904. Serial No. 217,066.

T0 at whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FELIX DEUSY, a citizen of France, residing at SanFrancisco, county of San Francisco, and State of California, haveinvented new and useful Improvements in effort is made to extract thesugar and the valuable salts of potash contained in theexosmose water.Afterthe molasses has been subjected to osmose the exosmose water isgenerally allowed to go to waste, and the molasses resulting fromcentrifuging is sold at a nominal price to the distilleries.

The object of my invention is to provide a method of treating themolasses and the exosmose water so that not only a very much largerpercentage of sugar may be recovered than by ordinary methods, but thereshall be saved all the values in the form of salts of potash.

The invention resides in the method hereinafter described and claimedand maybe practiced by an apparatus, as illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, in which Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view of part'of theapparatus, and Fig. 2 is a continuation of.

' the same.

awaits boiling in the vacuum-pan 27. osmosed molasses in the tank 25 isfrom fifteen of sugar in a state, however, not readily crystallized. Italso contains about 2.5 per cent, by weight, of potash.

The initial molasses is sent from the tank A by the pump 2, through thepipe 3, to the upper floor'of the factory, where it falls into the tankI. A steam-coil in this tank heats the molasses to about 100 centigrade.At this temperature the molasses runs down pipe 5, through themechanical filter 6, and thence by the pipe 7 into the tank 8. The pump9 and the pipe 10 send the molasses into the filteredmolasses tank 11,where the molasses is again heated to about 100 centigrade. From thetank 11 it flows by the pipes 12 and 13 through the osmogene 14:, isosmosed, and is delivered thence by the pipes 16 and 17 into the tank18. By the pump 20 and the suction-pipe 19 the osmosed molasses is sentto the sulfurationtank 21, where the molasses is treated withsulfnrous-acid gas and boiled. From there it passes by pipe 22 to themechanical filter 23, and from the filter flows as a clear liquidthrough pipe 24 into the tank 25, wherel it T iis to twenty per cent.purer than the initial molasses of tank A and has a density ofabout 2OBaum.

28 is a tank containing a sugar solution or syrup of approximately 90purity and having a specific gravity of about .20 to 30 Baum. Theintention is to use this solution in the vacuum-pan as a nucleus for thegranulation of the sugar contained in the osmosed molasses of tank 25.In practice there is first introduced into pan 27 a portion of this puresugar solution equal to about two-fifths of the total'volume of solutionand molasses to be' contained in the vacumm panthat is, if one hundredgallons represent the capacity of the pan there would first beintroduced forty gallons of sugar solution from tank 28 and afterwardsixty gallons of osmosed molasses from tank 25. However, the sugar-syrupfrom tank 28 is first concentrated by. boiling, and the operator somanages the apparatus as to geta considerable quantity of crystallizedsugar in the pan. The osmosed molasses is then gradually introduced infrequent small charges and the mixture boiled in grain. When the boilingis over, there is a resulting masse-cuite containing only from eight toten per cent. of water. This masse-cuite is discharged into thecrystallizer 30, where it undergoes agitation during two or three days.From the crystallizer the masse-cuite is discharged. into thecentrifugal 34 by means of pipe 31 and the screw conveyer 32. In thecentrifugal 34 the sugar contained in the masse-cuite is separated fromthe molasses. The separated molasses is discharged into the gutter 35and from there by pipe 36 into the tank-37 to await further treatment.The purity of this molasses is about the same as the purity of theinitial molasses of tank A, with which it is again mixed, as hereinafterdescribed. The raw sugar from the centrifugal, which is aboutninety-eight per cent. of purity, falls into the tank 38, where it isdissolved in hot Water. Thence it is sent as sugar-syrup through thepipe 39 and the pump 40 into the tank 41, which is the waiting tank ofthe vacuum pan for refined sugar. From the tank 41 the syrup isaspirated into the vacuum-pan 43 by the pipe 42 and is boiled as refinedsugar. The boiling over, the massecuite falls into the mixer 44. Fromthe mixer the masse cuite is delivered, through the spout 46, into thecentrifugals 47, where during treatment the sugar is washed with coldwater. After that it is sent to the drier,

whence it comes out in the state of refined sugar. The wash-syrup comingout of the centrifugals 47v falls into the gutter 48 and from a pipe 49drops into the tank 50. It is a wash-syrup of very great purity and bypump 51 is sent into tank 28 through the pipe 52, there to be used assugar-syrup in the Vacuum-pan 27 for boiling the osmosed molasses, asbefore described.

53 is a hot-water tank containing a steamcoil by .Which the water in thetank is heated to about 100 centigrade. This water is used to supplyosmogene 14. It comes out of tank 53 by pipe 54 and goes into theosmogene by pipe 55 and comes out of the osmogene in the state ofexosmose water by pipe 56 and is carried by pipe 57 into tank 58. Fromtank 58 it is sent by the pipe 59 into pan 60,which is the first pan ofmy so-called quadruple effect,where it is partly concentrated, and fromthere passes by pipe 111 into the second pan 61,

erated molasses comes out by pipe 71 and passes by pipe 72 into tank 73.From tank 73 the regenerated molasses flows by pipe 74 into tank 37,where it is mixed with the molasses coming from the centrifugal 84,previously mentioned. The regenerated molasses has a purity of from 2 to3 in excess of the initial molasses in tank A. The mixture of these twomolasses is taken by a suction-pipe 75 and pump 76 into tank 4, where itis mixed with the initial molasses. The tank 4 contains then a mixtureof three kinds or grades of molasses, to wit: first, initial molasses;second, molasses from centrifugal 34; third, regenerated molasses fromosmogene 09 via tank 73. If the working has been skillfully conducted,the mixture of the three molasses in tank 4 is from 1 to 2 purer thanthe initial molasses of tank A.

77 is a hot-water tank containing water heated to about 100 Centigrade.This hot water is for the osmogene 69, to which it passes by the pipes78 and 7 9, goes through the osmogene and comes out as reosmose water bythe pipe 112, is delivered into pipe 80, and by that pipe into the tank81. Tank 81 is the waiting-tank of the vacuum-pan 83 for boiling thereosmose water to eliect a separation of the salts and waste liquors. Tothe reosmose water in this tank is added a quantity of nitrate of sodiumin proportion to the amount of the salts of potassium (chlorid ofpotassium and organic salts of potassium) contained in that water. Thelatter also contains some nitrate of potassium. This addition of nitrateof sodium will transform the chlorid of potassium and the organic saltsof potassium into nitrate of potash. Just the quantity or proportion tobe added of nitrate of soda cannot be stated, as each particular casewill differ. In general it maybe said that the required amount will bedetermined by analysis of the reosmose water. \Vhile it will not hurt toadd an excess of nitrate of soda, since it will enrich the wasteproducts for use as fertilizer, still the cost of sodium nitrate rendersit undesirable to use an unnecessary quantity. The reosmose water intank 81 prior to the addition of the nitrate of sodium has a puritybetween 0.1.4 and 0.15 and a saline quotient between 0.40 and 0.50. Fromtank 81 the reosmose water is delivered by the suction-pipe 82 into thevacuumpan 83, where it is concentrated so as to have a density between30 and 40 Baum. When the reosmose water is sufiicientl y concentrated,it goes to tank 84 and thence by pipe 85 into one of the tanks 86. Afterremaining from fifteen to twenty days in tanks 86 the nitrate ofpotassium is completely crystallized and deposited on the walls andbottoms of the tanks. The exhausted saline water is taken from tanks 86by pipes 87 and collected in tank 88, whence it may be allowed to go toP y, is further concentrated in a vacuum-pan and afterward mixed with,some anhydrid of lime, the mixture forming an excellent fertilizer.

Whenthe exhausted saline water has been withdrawn from tanks 86, thereremains the water and after with a cold solution of saturated nitrate ofpotash coming from tank 92 by pipe 93. All this wash-water falls fromthe centrifugal 91 into the gutter 94: and thence by the pipe 95 intothe tank 96. The wash-water in tank 96 contains a large amount ofnitrate of potash, and in order that it be utilized and subsequentlysaved it is sent-by the pipe 97 and pump 98 into the tank 81,where it ismixed with the reosmose waterwaiting concentration.

I have discovered that if a certainamount of concentrated osmosedmolasses is added to the molasses undergoing osmose in the'severalosmogenes the osmotic power of the apparatus is very much increased,thereby increasing the purity of the molasses undergoing osmose.Consequently all the osmose molasses coming from the osmogene 14 is notsent immediately into the sulfuration-tank 21 and from there to thevacuum-pan 27, but a part is aspirated into the third pan 62 of thequadruple effect by the pipe 99, whereit is concentrated to about 4:0Baum. At that density it is aspirated by the pipe 100 and sent throughthe pump 101 into the tank 102. There it is heated to a temperature ofabout 100 centigrade and delivered by the pipes 103 and 104 into the topof the osmogene, where it commingles with the molasses undergoing osmoseand serves to raise the mean density of the entire molasses body to 20or 25 Baum. Likewise all the regenerated molasses produced by osmogene69 is not sent immediately into the tank 37, but a part of that molassesis taken by pipe 105 into the fourth pan 63 of the quadruple effect,where it is concentrated to a density between 30 After that it isconveyed by pipe 106 and pump 107 into the tank 108, where it is heated.Thence it is delivered by pipes 109 and 110 to the osmogene 69 and mixedwith the molasses therein undergoing osmose.

By this process I recover practically all the.

values of the molasses either as refined sugar or as nitrate of potash.For starting with unrefined molasses I save about eighty per cent. ofthe sugar as against fifty per cent. or less by the old process andextract substantially all the salts of potassium as nitrate of potashwhich before were allowed to go entirely to waste.

The process is a complete process.

moreover, very simple and can be practiced It is, I

during the ordinarilyidle season of the factory.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire'to secureby Letters Pattent, is

1. The process of treating molasses which comprises the osmose of themolasses, adding theosmosed molasses to a solution of sugarsyrup,boiling the mixture, separatlngthe sugar from the mixture and refiningthe sugar so separated, reosmosing the molasses residue incident on saidseparation, concentrating the exosmose water to a state of salinemolasses, subjecting this saline molasses to osmose, recoveringthe sugarfrom the regenerated molasses and the salts of potassium from thereosmose water. i

2. The process of recovering salts of potassium and refined sugar frommolasses which comprises theosmose oftheinitial molasses, theconcentration and separation of the osmosed molasses, the concentrationof the exosmose water, reosmose of said concentrated exosmose water,adding nitrate of sodium to said-reosmose water, boiling said mixtureand finally collecting the salts of potash in settling tanks.

3, The process of recovering salts of potassium and refined sugar frommolasses which comprises the osmose of the initial molasses,theooncentration and separation of the osmosed molasses, theconcentration of the exosmose water, reosmose of said concentratedexosmose water, adding nitrate of sodium to said reosmose water, boilingsaid mixture and finally collecting the salts of potash insettlingtanks, washing the salts so collected separate from theexhausted reosmose water and using saidwash-water to mix again with thereosmose water prior to said boiling.

4. In the process of treating molasses and as a part thereof, theconcentration of the exosmose water, running this concentrated exosmosewater through an osmogene to regenerate the molasses, recovering thesugar from said regenerated molasses, collecting the reosmose water,addingnitrate of sodium to said reosmose Water and collectingthe saltsof po. tassium.

5. In the process of treating molasses and as a part thereof, the osmoseof the initial molasses, the mixing of the osmosed molasses with asugar-syrup solution, boiling this mix-- ture in grain, centrifuging theboiled mixture, dissolving the sugar so separated and refining thissolution.

6. In the process of'treating molasses and as a part thereof, the osmoseof the initial mo,- lasses, the mixing of the osmosed molasses with asugar-syrup solution, boiling this mixture in grain, centrifuging theboiled mixture, dissolving the sugar so separated, boiling this solutionas refined sugar, centrifuging this boiled product, washing the refinedsugar pro- &

duced by this last centrifuging and using the wash-Water as asugar-syrup for the said mixing with the osmosed molasses.

7. In the process of treating molasses and as a part thereof, the osmoseof the initial molasses, the concentration of the exosmose water,reosmose of said concentrated water adding a suitable salt to saidreosmose water to convert the salts of potash in said water into nitrateof potash and recovering the nitrate of potash from said solution.

8. The process of treating molasses which comprises the osmose of theinitial molasses and the subsequent treatment of the osmose molasses andthe exosmose water whereby the osmose molasses is mixed with asugar-syrup solution, and the refined sugar recovered therefrom, theexosmose water being concentrated, reosmosed and the salts of potashfinally recovered from the said reosmosed water.

9. The process of treating molasses which comprises the osmose of theinitial molasses and the subsequent treatment of the osmosed molassesand the exosmose water whereby the osmose molasses is mixed with asugar-syrup solution,and the refined sugar recovered therefrom, theexosmose water being concentrated, reosmosed and the salts of potashfinally recovered from the said reosmosed water, the regeneratedmolasses from the osmose of said concentrated exosmose water beingreturned and mixed with the initial molasses and resubjected to theoperations above described in relation to said initial molasses.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

FELIX DEUSY.

Witnesses:

HENRY P. TRICOU, S. H. NOURSE.

